Independent Reading: Nonfiction Journal Assignment



Name ________________ Grade ___ LA 2012

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Independent Reading - Monthly and Term assignments

Fiction and Non-fiction Reader Response

Learning Goal – respond personally and critically to self-selected text

Each month you will choose one fiction or one non-fiction book to read independently. One full class period a week will be given to you to read your chosen book, but you will also need to commit to reading/responding time at home in order to be successful. Your success will be determined by your ability to meet given criteria in the following areas:

- Written/creative response to given prompts/questions

- Ability to independently read during the given weekly class period

- Ability to read independently beyond given class time

- Ability to choose appropriate texts relating to interest and ability

- Ability and willingness to share response/learning with others

When you have decided on the book you will do you book report on….inform your teacher of your choice. Your reporting mark will be determined by your response to the assignment prompts and questions included in the checklists and rating scales given.

NOTE – Each month you will be asked to share your book report with one or more classmates. A main goal for this task is to show that you understood main themes/ideas. Another goal is to persuade others to read the fiction book you read OR to persuade others to learn about the topic that you learned about (non-fiction).

See over for your end of the reporting period assignment

At the end of each term you will be asked to create an Artifact Book Response and present it according to directions (given in class).

Option choices available if requested by student and approved by teacher.

Ideas might include:

Create a journal response from a character’s point of view (fiction book)

A Day in the Life of … (to be assigned at the discretion of the teacher)

Journal: Relive one day of your character’s life. Write a one-page journal that details your character’s thoughts, feelings, and memories about the events of one day. Be sure to use specific information and details from your character’s life to support your journal.

CREATE A BOOK TRAILER.

If you think you would like to do this for your term assignment…..see your teacher after you have checked out the following link. You and your teacher will determine the criteria for your grade for this assignment.



Independent Reading: Fiction Response Assignment

(required for fiction book choice)

Use the following chart to ensure that you include all important details in your written book report.

|Checklist and Rating Scale for Fiction Book |

|Category |Comments |

|Title ___ Author ___ Genre ___ | |

|Characters | |

|Protagonist ___ Traits ___ | |

|Antagonist ___ Traits ___ | |

|Did the main character change?___ | |

|Setting | |

|Where ___ When ___ | |

|Conflict | |

|Internal___ | |

|External ___ | |

|Point of View ___ | |

|(First Person, Third Person, Second Person) | |

|Theme(s) | |

|Main idea/message ____ | |

|Choose a golden line or short passage and read aloud ___ | |

|Explain why you chose ____ | |

|Illustration/collage ___ | |

|Make a collage that includes images/drawings reflecting | |

|character, setting, plot, theme | |

|4 – Exceeds expectations | |

|3 – Meets expectations | |

|2 – beginning to meet expectations | |

|1 – limited/not meeting expectations | |

Independent Reading: Nonfiction Response Assignment

(required for nonfiction book choice)

Your Name: ________________Book title: _______________________

Author (s) Name: ___________________________________________

Topic:___________________________________________________

Genre ___________________

Before you read the book . . .

What do you know about the book/author/topic before getting started on the book? Why did you choose this book?

Ask yourself … “What question(s) do I have about this topic/book? Record your question(s) below.

While reading the book . . .

What information surprises you? Why?

How can you use this information in your life?

What information do you question or think might not be correct?

Why do you question this information? How might you check it out?

Make connections with your own experience. What does the reading make you think of? Does it remind you of anything or anyone?

After reading the book . . .

What is the most important/interesting thing you have learned? Why? Where do you think you could look for more information about this topic?

What techniques does the author use to make this information easy to understand?

Describe the author's point of view. How does the author's attitude shape the way the writer presents the material?

Would you recommend this book to others to read? Why or why not?

Illustration/collage ___

Make a collage that includes images/drawings reflecting the topic you read about in your text including main ideas and interesting/amazing facts/issues.

4 – Exceeds expectations

3 – Meets expectations

2 – beginning to meet expectations

1 – limited/not meeting expectations

Artifact Book Response

An Artifact Box Book Report

It is time to prepare and share your ideas about ONE of your book choices that you read this term.

The first thing you need to do is choose one book from your reading that will be the focus of this assignment. You can choose a fiction or non-fiction book that you have read. Then, you will prepare an artifact box book report about it. An artifact box book report is a collection of objects pertaining to or relating to your book. This activity encourages higher-level thinking, and the use of visual imagery (objects and symbols) to represent concepts, themes, and ideas related to your book. Finally, you will present your artifact book box to the class and briefly discuss your opinion of the book.

A. Make an artifact box: 

1. Find a box to put your items in. Be creative! Use any receptacle that would work best with your book. You could use a cigar or shoebox or the shoe itself; any container suitable. Be sure to decorate it accordingly with your book’s setting, theme or mood.   

2. Collect and add objects (10) that represent or illustrate the book’s theme, characters, conflict, setting etc..  or if a non-fiction book, the main ideas of the book.

3. You might add pictures- downloaded or drawn, real items- fossils, map, clothing items or anything that relates to the character, setting, conflict, theme or main ideas if your focus is a non-fiction book. Demonstrate effort and attention to detail--choose a variety of materials such as dried flowers, marbles, handkerchiefs, etc.!

4. Place them in the container.

5. For each artifact, provide a typed or printed index card of at least 50 words providing a detailed description of the object’s connection to your book. Explain the significance of the object fully—connect the object to a specific aspect of the book and explain the connection.

6. Be sure your capitalization, organization, punctuation and spelling are correct on all materials provided.  This is the conventions section of your assignment.

B. Presentation:

On the day for presentations, you will share your Artifact Box with your class in a walk about format.

ARTIFACT BOX BOOK REPORT RUBRIC NAME:__________________

USE OF MATERIALS (BOX AND ARTIFACTS)

4. overall appearance is excellent; a variety of materials such as wood, plastic,

paper, and metal; box suits the novel/book; artifacts are relevant, interesting and show creativity

3. appearance is good; some variety of materials; box is decorated; all artifacts are relevant

1. appearance shows a lack of care; the box may be plain and/or there is no real

attempt at variety; some artifacts appear irrelevant and/or simple and predictable

DESCRIPTION CARDS:

4. all the cards include well-detailed typed or printed descriptions of at least 75 words

3 most of the cards have descriptions of at least 75 words/or the descriptions are basic

and are not adequately explained

1. cards contain less than 75 words and/or contain irrelevant description; cards have not

been carefully typed or printed

MECHANICS

2 words are spelled correctly; proper punctuation and capitalization is used;

complete sentences

1 most words spelled correctly; mostly uses correct punctuation and

capitalization; mostly uses complete sentences

0. has many spelling, punctuation, or capitalization errors; many incomplete

sentences

DELIVERY:

5-4 voice (variety in pitch, volume, pace) and confident eye-contact invite listeners and

seek attention

3 voice loud and clear, some eye contact; some areas favoured while others ignored

2-1 voice difficult to hear or words hard to understand, little eye contact

ORGANIZATION

5-4 information was clear and logical, speech flowed well, speaker knew where he/she was going, speech was clearly rehearsed

3 information was clear, some breaks in the presentation but not enough to detract from the overall flow, could have used more rehearsal

1. information was unclear, many breaks in the presentation, lacked flow, unrehearsed

CONTENT:

5. a clear explanation was given for all artifacts and recommendation of text was thoughtfully and articulately presented

3 a clear explanation was given for most of the artifacts and recommendation of the text was presented

1. a clear explanation was given for some of the artifacts and recommendation of the text was limited

Presenter:_____________________________Marker:_________________________

ARTIFACTS

3 2 1

USE OF MATERIALS (BOX AND ARTIFACTS)

3 2 1

DESCRIPTION CARDS:

3 2 1

MECHANICS

3 2 1

DELIVERY:

3 2 1

ORGANIZATION

3 2 1

EXPLANATION OF ARTIFACTS:

3 2 1

BONUS: POINT OF VIEW

3 2 1

Presenter:_____________________________Marker:_________________________

ARTIFACTS

3 2 1

USE OF MATERIALS (BOX AND ARTIFACTS)

3 2 1

DESCRIPTION CARDS:

3 2 1

MECHANICS

3 2 1

DELIVERY:

3 2 1

ORGANIZATION

3 2 1

EXPLANATION OF ARTIFACTS:

3 2 1

BONUS: POINT OF VIEW

3 2 1

Rubric for Independent Reading - Self Assessment

| |IA |BA |PA |EA |

| |Insufficient |Basic |Proficient |Excellent |

| |0 – 49 % |50 – 64% |65-79 % |80-100% |

|Interest |The book does not interest me. |The book is kind of |This book was interesting |This book was so interesting to me that I could |

| | |interesting. |most of the time. |hardly put it down. |

|Choosing reading |I had a very hard time finding a|I had a hard time finding a |I found a book without much|It was easy for me to find a book to read. |

|materials |book. |book. |difficulty or after I | |

| | | |looked diligently. | |

|Challenge level |The book was either too hard or |The book was kind of hard and|The book was a good fit for|The book was a very good fit for my reading level.|

| |too easy for me. I did not |I was confused quite often OR |my reading level. I could |I learned new words every time I read but knew |

| |learn any new words OR I was |this book was too easy for me |understand most of the |most of the words already – 95% approximately. |

| |confused because there were too |and I did not learn many new |words and learned a few new| |

| |many words I did not know. |words. |words. | |

|Strategies |I cannot explain the reading |I can sometimes explain the |I can usually explain the |I can almost always explain the reading strategies|

| |strategies that I use when |reading strategies I use when |reading strategies I use |I use when reading and when figuring out new |

| |reading and when figuring out |reading and when figuring out |when reading and when |words. |

| |new words. |new words. |figuring out new words. | |

|On task reading |I only read for a small portion |I just read part of the time |I read on task for most of |I read on task for all the time during independent|

| |of the time allotted for |during independently reading |the time during independent|reading class. |

| |independent reading. |class. |reading class. | |

|Being prepared |I did not have my book ready at |I sometimes had my book ready |I usually had my book ready|I always had my book ready at the start of |

| |the start of independent reading|at the start of independent |at the start of independent|independent reading class. |

| |class. |reading class. |reading class. | |

|Contribution to |I often distracted others during|I sometimes distracted others |I hardly ever distracted |I never distracted others during independent |

|learning community |independent reading class. |during independent reading |others during independent |reading class. |

| | |class. |reading class. | |

|Home Reading |I never read at home |I rarely read at home |I read at home 3-5 times a|I read at home every day or almost every day for |

| | | |week for 20 minutes or |20 minutes or more. |

| | | |more. | |

|Completed assignment |I did not complete my book |I completed my book report 1 –|I completed my book report |I completed and handed my report on or before the |

|by due date |report |2 days late. |on time with all tasks |due date with all tasks completed with quality |

| | | |completed. |responses. |

|Level 4 |I read the whole time. |

| |I carefully selected just right books. |

| |I respected the readers around me. |

| |I knew when my reading was not making sense and I did something to fix it. |

|Level 3 |I read most of the time. |

| |I mostly selected just right books. |

| |I respected the readers around me. |

| |I sometimes used strategies to help me when I was confused. |

|Level 2 |I just read part of the time. |

| |I was not careful enough choosing a just right book. |

| |I distracted readers around me. |

| |I did not use strategies when I was confused. |

|Level 1 |I did not read much at all. |

| |I did not have a just right book to read. |

| |I did not respect other readers around me. |

| |I wasted my time to read and learn. |

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